Last week we got the Coast Guard put out a red tide alert, saying a 10-mile stretch of red water had been spotted in New York Harbor. But now CityRoom reports that environmental officials are declaring that it wasn't The red tide after all. more ›

Coast Guard officials have warned that a nearly 10-mile stretch of red tide has been spotted in New York Harbor. The algal bloom can be a natural seasonal occurrence, and generally happens when the seas are warm. The toxin-producing phenomena can cause temporary breathing problems, burning eyes and skin irritation, according to the AP. It's also detrimental to the shellfish industry, making it unsafe to eat, and often kills fish. more ›

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 30-year-old Brooklyn resident who went missing in the Long Island Sound near Larchmont, NY. Eoin Curran had been training on a sailboat on Sunday afternoon when the boat "reportedly listed 90 degrees due to heavy winds from the squall." He and an instructor fell off the boat. more ›

After responding to the situation yesterday, the Coast Guard has finally released details on the oil spill off Valentino Pier in Red Hook, which was allegedly killing starfish along the shore. About 15 gallons of oil leaked into the water, spreading out 150 feet and tinging the water red. Residents could smell the oil all through the neighborhood, and one told the Daily News, "For this to happen, it's devastating." more ›

Moving to take advantage of a break in storms caused by Hurricane Alex, Coast Guard Commander Thad Allen announced today that tomorrow BP will try to replace the leaky containment cap over the broken oil well and replace it with a cap that could contain almost all of the gushing oil. If it works, they'll have done it in less than three months! "I use the word 'contained,' " Allen told reporters " 'Stop' is when we put the plug in down below." more ›

That Coast Guard shark warning was serious. Just one day after issuing the warning, an 8-foot-long blue shark chomped on fisherman Frank Joseph's arm. But Joseph and his two angler friends were just trying to return the shark to the wild! more ›

This is probably something to keep in mind any time you're in a body of water, but the U.S. Coast Guard has now put out an official warning for the entire Northeast to watch out for sharks this weekend. According to Fox5, authorities have confirmed the presence of great whites (specifically off the coast of Massachusetts—though we all know they're lurking around out there in New York, too). more ›

Hello, sailor, it's Fleet Week 2010! Ships have been making their way into the New York Harbor this morning and will be docked in Manhattan and Staten Island for the next few days. Events include flyovers (like the ones this morning over the Hudson River and at tonight's Mets game), demonstrations (a Coast Guard search & rescue demo at the Intrepid; Marine helicopter raids in parks), and public visitation of ships, like the USS Iwo Jima and the HMCS Athabaskan. more ›

It looks like that "Loop Current" might be working as feared, as globs of tar have started washing up on the shores of Key West, Florida. The balls, 3- to 8-inches in diameter, were found at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park beach, but the Coast Guard doesn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. Lt. jg. Anna Dixon told AOL News, "We don't even know the origin of these things. We're going to try to confirm where they came from and search for any more and commence cleanup if any more are found." more ›

Sen. Chuck Schumer had some harsh words for Homeland Security today regarding its plan to cut coast guard counter-terror patrols from NY’s shores. “If there was ever a plan that was penny wise and pound foolish, this is it," said the senior senator, calling the 90-member unit the city’s “eyes and ears.” Obama’s budget called for the patrol to be consolidated and transferred to Boston, but, said Schumer "If they're going to consolidate, they should consolidate in New York, since we, of course, are a much greater terror threat than Boston." The unit was established after 9/11 to patrol New York Harbor, reports NY1. Schumer threatened that if the administration doesn't reconsider, he'll block the proposal. more ›

Those boats in the water today—it's the Coast Guard! "The U.S. Coast Guard will be conducting exercises in the East River, Hudson River, and New York Harbor between 9 AM and 3 PM on Tuesday 9/15/09. Expect additional Coast Guard vessel activity in these areas." Just be glad for the warning—DC didn't get one and CNN, after overhearing on the radio the words "you will be fired upon" and "bang bang bang," decided that shots were fired on the Potomac, started a Friday kerfuffle when it was just a training exercise the Coast Guard didn't disclose to the public (and apparently the news media). more ›

NYC had a government plane flying too close to Lower Manhattan buildings oops-y in April, and today, Washington D.C. had reports of a U.S. Coast Guard boat firing at another vessel on the Potomac River. Of course, the Coast Guard now says it was a training exercise and that no shots were actually fired, but it is September 11 when the nation is worried about terrible stuff happening so the incident caused the media to freak out, especially since, the Washington Post reports, "The incident occurred near the Memorial Bridge, at approximately the same time that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were laying a wreath at the Pentagon memorial, a short distance away." more ›

Yesterday's Parade of Ships help begin the 22nd annual Fleet Week celebrations. Today's events include viewing of ships at Pier 45 in Manhattan and the Stapleton Pier in Staten Island, USMC/Air Ground airborne insertion/extraction of helicopters with combat Marines in Coney Island and Marine Day—with martial arts demonstrations and military working dogs (!)—in Central Park. Plus, at the Intrepid, it's the reopening of the Growler! More details here. more ›

Fleet Week is officially kicked off, with today's Parade of Ships and the military flyover. You'll be seeing thousands of sailors, marines, and members of the Coast Guard around town over the next week—and you can also see them at special events (more details here). The event celebrates the sea services and yesterday rocker Joan Jett met some servicemen and servicewomen as she toured the USS Iwo Jima. more ›

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 22nd annual Fleet Week celebrations, which run through May 27. Thousands of sailors, marines, and Coast Guardsmen from the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard will be on hand during this celebration of sea services. At 10 a.m., there will be a Parade of Ships, which will pass the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, proceed north through New York Harbor and the Hudson River, and to the George Washington Bridge. The ships will pass the WTC site between 11 a.m. and noon, and, according to the Navy, "each ship will render honors in memory of the sacrifices made on Sept. 11, 2001." And, there will also be a military flyover as part of the festivities—don't freak out! more ›

The whale that was spotted in the New York Harbor yesterday has presumably escaped New York safely. more ›

Governor Paterson did his part in helping prepare Texas for the carnage caused by Hurrican Ike, sending down 33 local personnel and military aircraft as part of the relief effort. The group included five pararescue jumpers from Long Island's National Guard there to be "another pair of eyes" in rescuing those hit by Ike. Newsday reports that the North Shore Animal League is also trying to curb the disaster sending down their mobile unit to rescue animals in shelters evacuated by the hurricane. Although residents were ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm, up to 140,000 are reported to have stayed behind. Ike has claimed four victims thus far in Louisiana and Texas and Houston will have an imposed curfew this week since the city is still without power. more ›

In two separate incidents, police and Coast Guard personnel pulled 19 individuals--including children--from the water after their boats swamped. Sixteen people were pulled from a 40-foot Sea Ray boat approximately a mile from shore and submerged so that its passengers were ankle-deep in the Long Island Sound Friday. Seven of the rescued were children. The boat began foundering when an exhaust hose broke, causing water to fill the boat. Separately, three Staten Islanders were rescued from the Hudson River near Peekskill when their sinking boat was in the path of a fuel barge. more ›

There are more answers and questions regarding the disappearance of a NJ woman from a cruise ship. The Norwegian Cruise Line company said surveillance videos show 46-year-old Mindy Jordan alone in her room and falling from her cabin's balcony, and the FBI said, "The information that we have acquired does not suggest a crime, but that is not definitive," and said it would continue with the investigation (the FBI did seize the cruise's railings). more ›

While bad weather stopped the search for a New Jersey woman who disappeared from a Norwegian Dawn cruise ship off the coast of Atlantic City, the FBI is now investigating her disappearance. more ›

How do you get rid of an unwanted fire truck? Simple, put it on Craigslist! more ›

Luxury cruise line Cunard has many ships, but last night was the first time that its Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2, and new Queen Victoria ships were in the "same port at the same time." And the port was the NewYork Harbor, under fireworks and gaze of the Statue of Liberty. more ›

Crews are working to remove oil from Long Island shoreline that spilled into the ocean sometime on Thanksgiving Day and started washing ashore. Surfers called the Coast Guard to report "tar-like balls of oil." A number of agencies, including the Coast Guard and NY State DEP, are working on the cleanup. The spill seems to be about 500 gallons of no. 6 oil, an unrefined bunker oil, and Newsday reports the samples from the spill... more ›

Yesterday morning, surfers contacted the Coast Guard about "tar-like balls of oil washing up" on the shoreline of Lido Beach, near Jones Beach on Long Island. The surfers said they also had oil on their wet suits. The spill seems to be about 3000 feet wide and 1500 feet long. Now the Coast Guard, working with other local, state and federal agencies, are trying to figure out where the spill is coming from as they... more ›

Somehow, a tanker managed to strike the Ambrose Light navigation aid early Sunday morning. The Ambrose Light is a 76-foot structure that sits 12 miles southeast of Staten Island and, according to the Coast Guard, "watches over the main shipping lanes to New York Harbor." The 799-foot tanker Axel Spirit "slammed" into the light, which is usually visible for 18 miles. Now the light is not rotating and, therefore, is not reliable. A commercial pilot... more ›

Families and friends are mourning the deaths of Robert Chacon and John Isello, two friends who died when their motorboat capsized in the Ambrose Channel Saturday night. Chacon, Isello and two other friends were on a 24-foot fishing boat when their vessel hit a tugboat's towline. more ›

A motorboat crashed into a tugboat pulling a barge last night and two motorboat passengers died after the vessel overturned. The incident occurred in the Ambrose Channel, near the Verrazano Bridge. more ›

During his weekly radio address yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg proposed that Governors Island be turned into the site of a sprawling public health institute that he would bankroll with funds from his own private foundation. After the city bought the island for $1 from the federal government several years ago, the former military site and Coast Guard station has been relatively underutilized. Bloomberg's plan envisions an institute that would draw health experts from around the world to work off the southern tip of Manhattan. more ›